Fridges that shop, vacuums that learn: The future of home appliances

Imagine robots that do the shopping for you, clean up your house, even fold your laundry. It sounds futuristic, but it may happen sooner than you think.

A Current Affair was invited along to LG headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, to discover the latest in home innovation and robots including fridges that do the shopping, and vacuum cleaners that double as home security devices.

Dr Peter Kim is the head of artificial intelligence at LG, leading the charge of their new ThinQ range of smart products.

New home appliances will be able to learn and adapt to their environments. (9news)

AI is now part of all new products, meaning the more you use them, the smarter and more efficient they'll become, he said.

"It will know when the customer is using it, what time of the day (it is), and where, so based on the customer's usage it will get smarter to automate some of that task," Dr Kim said.

A Current Affair travelled as guests of LG to their science park in South Korea, which they've set up as a fully integrated smart home where everything from the washing machine to the TV can communicate together, and can be switched on via voice command.

These appliances will "make life easier". (9news)

The TVs can answer your questions, while the new smart fridges can even switch on your ovens.

With built-in AI, it can learn the layout of your home and even know where the dirtiest areas are.

It can also be started remotely from a smartphone, and with a built-in camera, you can keep an eye on what's happening at your home.

"You can also set it for intrusion protection, so you can monitor to see if anybody is moving in the home and get alerts while you're out," Mr Reed said.

Smart home appliances will be coming to Australia soon. (9news)

That appliance will hit the market in Australia by the end of the year.

If a robot vacuum isn't for you, LG has also just released into the Australian market their handstick vacuums, in an attempt to take on the ever-popular Dyson.

With a one-touch start button, and three different power modes, it's already proving a winner with customers.

The smart fridge can offer recipe suggestions and order groceries. (9news)

"That's one thing we've found incredibly well received, just one touch to turn it on," Mr Reed said.

Tech guru Trevor Long says it's technology like this which will make like easier.

"(LG) are spending an enormous amount of money on research and development for what we only think of as Jetsons-style products now, products that think for us, products that we talk to, literally robots," he said.

Robots are being used as guides around train stations. (9news)

And it's robots that are the next big challenge for LG.

Already they're trialling them as guides at Seoul's international airport. At the local train station, they're also working as cleaners.

In the future they could even be used in supermarkets, to help tally up our shopping as we walk the aisles.

LGs head of robotics Hyungjin Choi believes soon enough, robots will also be commonplace in our homes, doing our cleaning, washing and even cooking.